Our
Town: Hollidaysburg Kids’ Cut in a nutshell…..
Nestled
in the heart of Central Pennsylvania in Blair County, Hollidaysburg is
a small, quiet community with a wealth of scenic vistas and a rich
history. Students from the Hollidaysburg Area Junior and Senior High
Schools worked in teams to write, videotape and edit their own stories
about the Hollidaysburg area.
Founded in 1796 by brothers William and Adam Holliday, Hollidaysburg
grew from a small market town into an important inland shipping terminal
and transfer point on the Pennsylvania Canal. From Hollidaysburg, the
canal system, part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, ran across the Allegheny
Mountains using ten incline planes with stationary steam engines to carry
barges up the mountain to Johnstown. Eventually, the railroad replaced
the barge canal system and today the canal basin site in Hollidaysburg
has been renovated so all can see the historic role it played in the
town.
Feature Segment:
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams,
an African-American, was the first doctor to perform open-heart surgery,
and was born in Hollidaysburg. The heart surgery was performed
in 1893 when he removed a knife from the heart of a stabbing victim.
The United
States Congress awarded Dr. Williams a commemorative stamp in 1970.
The story of Dr. Williams is but one example of the varied and
rich history abundant in Hollidaysburg.
Nestled
in the heart of Central Pennsylvania in Blair County, Hollidaysburg is
a small, quiet community with a wealth of scenic vistas and a rich
history. Students from the Hollidaysburg Area Junior and Senior High
Schools worked in teams to write, videotape and edit their own stories
about the Hollidaysburg area.
Founded in 1796 by brothers William and Adam Holliday, Hollidaysburg
grew from a small market town into an important inland shipping terminal
and transfer point on the Pennsylvania Canal. From Hollidaysburg, the
canal system, part of the Pennsylvania Railroad, ran across the Allegheny
Mountains using ten incline planes with stationary steam engines to carry
barges up the mountain to Johnstown. Eventually, the railroad replaced
the barge canal system and today the canal basin site in Hollidaysburg
has been renovated so all can see the historic role it played in the
town.
Dr. Daniel Hale Williams,
an African-American, was the first doctor to perform open-heart surgery,
and was born in Hollidaysburg. The heart surgery was performed
in 1893 when he removed a knife from the heart of a stabbing victim.
The United
States Congress awarded Dr. Williams a commemorative stamp in 1970.
The story of Dr. Williams is but one example of the varied and
rich history abundant in Hollidaysburg.